Downtown Clermont is on the verge of a major transformation as the long-empty lakeside lumber yard on Lake Minneola readies for a roughly $45 million mixed-use revival. The planned Lumberyard District would stack 392 apartments across two phases alongside retail space, a two-story parking garage, and a 55,000-square-foot entertainment hub dubbed “The Sawmill.” Even before ground is broken, neighbors and city staff are already zeroing in on a familiar worry: how all of this will play with traffic and parking along the busy 12th Street/County Road 561 corridor.
According to the South Lake Tablet, the project covers about 12.3 acres tucked beside Victory Pointe Park and the South Lake Trail, with a Key West-style architectural vibe pitched to young professionals. The rollout is split into two phases: phase one calls for 262 apartments in four buildings, followed by a second phase that would add 130 more units plus mixed-use live-work buildings. The plan also reserves roughly 53,000 to 55,000 square feet for restaurants, shops, and office space.
Industry filings and real estate coverage show that Atlanta-based PENLER has purchased part of the property and lined up construction financing to get the district moving. CRE MarketBeat reports that PENLER paid about $7.4 million for the multifamily parcel and secured an approximately $45.7 million construction loan from Renasant Bank to fund the initial phases. Developers say that money will cover the first wave of residential construction, along with early infrastructure work across the site.
Design, Approvals and Who Is Building It
To get the look and spacing they want, the development team sought and received extra planning flexibility, including a city height waiver that allows higher ceilings and pitched roofs, according to local reports. Ashley Pun notes that Wolfe & Wallace Properties will handle the mass grading and interior road network, while PENLER concentrates on building the apartments. The developers say roughly 70 percent of the phase-one units will be one-bedroom layouts, designed to keep rents competitive for young professionals looking to live close to the lake and downtown.
The Sawmill and the Traffic Question
Anchoring the district is “The Sawmill,” envisioned as a two-story, open-air entertainment complex of about 55,000 square feet packed with arcade games, food, drinks, and live music, aimed at drawing visitors from across South Lake County. The South Lake Tablet points out that the property backs directly onto the South Lake Trail and fronts a stretch of road that already clogs up during peak hours, which has neighbors pressing for detailed traffic studies, parking strategies, and mitigation plans before building permits are issued. City staff and nearby residents have also called for clearer commitments on transit options, loading zones, and event management to avoid gridlock and spillover parking on surrounding streets.
Why It Matters for Clermont
The Lumberyard District is arriving at a time when Clermont is growing quickly by almost any measure. Recent reporting shows the city’s ZIP code posting one of the fastest population increases in the Orlando metro area, a roughly 39 percent jump between 2019 and 2023. ConnectCRE notes that the pace of growth helps explain the appetite for dense rental projects near downtown and the waterfront. For small businesses, the district could mean a steady stream of new customers; for city planners, it underscores the ongoing balancing act between adding housing and entertainment space and keeping roads, trails, and public areas usable for everyone.
What’s Next
Wolfe & Wallace is expected to move first with mass grading and core site infrastructure, while PENLER finalizes apartment construction plans, with local coverage indicating that demolition and grading will come before any vertical building. Ashley Pun reports that the developer intends to stage the build-out in phases, though a firm start date for apartment construction has not yet been announced. The ultimate schedule will depend on city permitting, the results of traffic studies, and coordination with Lake County transportation officials, all of which will shape the conditions attached to the project’s key approvals.
